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Virgin Racing, which will be re-branded as Marussia Virgin Racing, announced on its website that the 21-year-old would drive as team mate to Timo Glock.

D'Ambrosio drove with Glock at the 2011 Brazilian GP but scored zero points for the season.

Pic said: "I'm very happy to be making the step up to F1 with Marussia. As a driver you always feel you are ready for the next opportunity But this is just the beginning. I know a lot of hard work is ahead of me."

Pic impressed during the "young drivers" test held during the 2011 Abu Dhabi GP weekend and spent the past two seasons competing in GP2. He finished 2011 fourth in the series with two wins, three pole starts and five podium finishes. He will spend the next few weeks at the team's technical center in Banbury, England, before pre-season testing begins in February 2012.

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